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Jordan Mechner's classic adventure gameThe Last Express keeps popping up in new places, which makes its title a bit misleading but is also a pretty cool thing. The Last Express' latest stop is Steam, where the Gold Edition is now available for PC for a discounted price of $5.25 through December 7.

The Last Express launched in 1997 for PC, Mac and DOS, and it takes place aboard the luxury Orient Express in July 1914, just before the outbreak of World War I. The game follows American doctor and French fugitive Robert Cath as he attempts to reach his friend in Constantinople. Things on the train get pretty intense, Downton Abbey style.

The Gold Edition includes an advanced hint system, a new UI and inventory, fresh achievements, cloud saves via the Steam Cloud, and in-game extras.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Jordan-MechnerpcSTEAMthe-last-expressFri, 22 Nov 2013 17:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2013/08/28/the-last-express-now-on-google-play/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/08/28/the-last-express-now-on-google-play/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/08/28/the-last-express-now-on-google-play/#comments
Jordan Mechner's 1997 adventure game classic, The Last Express, arrived on Google Play for Android devices this morning. The game is also available on PC and pulled into the iDevice station last September.

The Last Express is set in 1914 on the Orient Express, where people had very little else to do for several days, so they passed the time by getting involved in romance, murder and intrigue. The Last Express is 20 percent off during the game's launch period, so buy a ticket for $3.99.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidJordan-Mechnermobilethe-last-expressWed, 28 Aug 2013 09:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/15/karateka-classic-coming-to-ios-and-android-tomorrow/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/15/karateka-classic-coming-to-ios-and-android-tomorrow/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/15/karateka-classic-coming-to-ios-and-android-tomorrow/#comments
History repeats itself in both video games and colas it seems. Years after releasing the original Karateka, Jordan Mechner revised the formula, giving the world "new" Karateka. Some people liked the new flavor - others, not so much. Hearing the demand of fans everywhere, Mechner has announced that Karateka Classic is coming back, specifically to iOS and Android.

Karateka Classic recreates the Apple II experience - right down to the disk drive noises - and offers a range of "monitor" choices, including color CRT, green or amber display. There are a couple of new additions, including gameplay tips and a rewind feature that can be earned, allowing players to reverse their mistakes.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidiosipadiphonejordan-mechnerkarateka-classicliquid-entertainmentmobileWed, 15 May 2013 10:45:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/01/pay-what-you-want-for-a-virtual-pile-of-video-game-ebooks/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/01/pay-what-you-want-for-a-virtual-pile-of-video-game-ebooks/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/01/pay-what-you-want-for-a-virtual-pile-of-video-game-ebooks/#comments
The new StoryBundle - a pay-what-you-want, DRM-free collection of eBooks - offers an instant collection of game history and culture, including Jordan Mechner's journals for Karateka and Prince of Persia, Videogames: In the Beginning by Ralph Baer (who would know!), Brendan Keogh's Killing is Harmless, a longform review/critique of Spec Ops: The Line, a couple of Kill Screen issues, and more.

To get all the books, you need to pay at least $10; however, you can pay anything and get merely most of them. Either way, your ebook reader is going to be loaded up with game history.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ebooksjordan-mechnerralph-baerstorybundleWed, 01 May 2013 13:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/20/jordan-mechner-compares-karateka-on-the-apple-2-and-the-iphone/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/20/jordan-mechner-compares-karateka-on-the-apple-2-and-the-iphone/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/20/jordan-mechner-compares-karateka-on-the-apple-2-and-the-iphone/#commentsWherein Jordan Mechner, the creator of Karatekaand the Prince of Persia series, asks, "How do you like them Apples?"

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Appleapple-iiiosiphoneJordan-MechnerkaratekamobileThu, 20 Dec 2012 23:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/03/karateka-on-pc-today-alongside-karateka-development-book/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/03/karateka-on-pc-today-alongside-karateka-development-book/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/03/karateka-on-pc-today-alongside-karateka-development-book/#commentsJordan Mechner's rhythmic Karateka remake is out on PC today, available through Steam for ten percent off its normal $10 price. The price will flip-kick back up after a week. It's still listed only as "coming soon" to PSN and iOS.

Coinciding with the release of Karateka on a new platform, creator Jordan Mechner has released an ebook about the development process of the original Apple 2 Karateka. The making of Karateka: Journals 1982-1985 collects Mechner's private journal entries about the time spent in college creating the martial arts game. It's on Amazon digitally today, and Mechner plans to release it in print later. Mechner has already released a journal book about Prince of Persia.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ebookjordan-mechnerkaratekaliquid-entertainmentpcrelease-datesteamthe-making-of-karatekaMon, 03 Dec 2012 11:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/12/karateka-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/12/karateka-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/12/karateka-review/#commentsAt first glance, Karateka doesn't look like a remake so much as a new game with the same name. Its cartoon visuals, 3D setting, and rhythm-based combat seem oceans apart from the 2D martial arts cinema of the Apple II beat-em-up. Yet look a little deeper and the classic's spirit reveals itself, albeit glazed with superficial icing. Those who revere the original may find this appetizing; it's the game they love, yet different and new. Judged on its own merits, however, Kareteka being true to its source is exactly why it doesn't satiate.

As before, combat is the core of your journey, and movement is nearly insignificant. The original's side-scrolling converts to a one-way path, with you pushing the control stick upwards to roam the false 3D world. You reach a combatant, defeat him, run up the path, reach another combatant, defeat him, and so on. Apart from occasional cutscenes, this is how the whole game goes from start to end.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>iosipadiphonejordan-mechnerkaratekaliquid-entertainmentmicrosoftmobilepcplaystationps3xboxMon, 12 Nov 2012 11:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/05/karateka-launches-on-xbla-this-week-psn-pc-ios-to-follow/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/05/karateka-launches-on-xbla-this-week-psn-pc-ios-to-follow/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/05/karateka-launches-on-xbla-this-week-psn-pc-ios-to-follow/#commentsJordan Mechner's revamp of his classic martial arts fighting game, Karateka, is set to launch on XBLA on Wednesday, but the PSN and PC release will come at a later, unspecified date along with a newly announced iOS version.

We have a few new screens from Karateka below. At first glance, we're having trouble reconciling the new vision with the original look - although we appreciate Mechner's bold leap forward. After all, this is the man who created and helped revamp Prince of Persia.

Over 15 years on from when it first set out, Jordan Mechner's The Last Express is arriving on iOS this Thursday, September 27. In collaboration with French distributor DotEmu, Mechner re-released his 1997 adventure game on PC lastyear, but this year it comes to iPad and iPhone with some iOS-friendly tweaks.

The Last Express is set on the Orient Express in 1914, combining an evocative, momentous time with romance, murder, and intrigue. Initially conceived in 1993, four years of high-end development took its toll on financial reserves, and than in turn hurt marketing and shelf life. While the game was a commercial disaster, it earned high acclaim from mainstream outlets like USA Today and Newsweek, an incredible achievement for a game of its time.

If waiting for trains isn't your style, you can download the PC version now on DotEmu and GOG.com, which comes with a walkthrough, making-of video, and soundtrack.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>iosipadiphoneJordan-Mechnerkaratekamicrosoftmobilenintendopcplaystationps3wii-uxboxMon, 27 Aug 2012 21:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/18/jordan-mechner-speaking-at-nyu-game-center-next-week/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/18/jordan-mechner-speaking-at-nyu-game-center-next-week/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/18/jordan-mechner-speaking-at-nyu-game-center-next-week/#commentsWould you like to hear the (honestly) thrilling story of Prince of Persia data transfer firsthand? Jordan Mechner is speaking at NYU as part of its Game Center lecture series on Thursday, April 26.

Officially, the talk will cover "his work, provide insights into his creative process, and share stories from a career that ranges from creating games on his own to leading large game development projects to collaborating on big budget Hollywood movies," but we're sure there will be room in the program for talking about old disks!

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>jordan-mechnernycnyu-game-centerWed, 18 Apr 2012 23:59:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/17/prince-of-persia-source-code-successfully-rescued/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/17/prince-of-persia-source-code-successfully-rescued/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/17/prince-of-persia-source-code-successfully-rescued/#commentsIf you're a programmer, you may find inspiration in the source code for the original Apple II version of Prince of Persia. 23 years after the game's release, and about two weeks after finding his old floppies, Jordan Mechner has posted the source code to GitHub, where it's freely accessible.

The copying took place at a "megacopy" party, assisted by digital archivist Jason Scott using various modified computer hardware. We're glad people like Mechner exist who can do things like "write Prince of Persia," and we're glad people like Scott exist who can figure out how to preserve this material for computers that aren't 35 years old. We're here to ... appreciate the effort? We're totally doing our part!

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>apple-iijason-scottjordan-mechnermacpcprince-of-persiaTue, 17 Apr 2012 10:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/29/jordan-mechner-finds-original-prince-of-persia-source-code/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/29/jordan-mechner-finds-original-prince-of-persia-source-code/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/29/jordan-mechner-finds-original-prince-of-persia-source-code/#commentsImagine if you happened upon a set of floppy disks containing the original source code for Prince of Persia. Chances are, you'd be pretty excited -- even if you'd already seen the code when you were writing it.

Jordan Mechner, who did write Prince of Persia, received a box from his father containing a few retail Prince of Persia and Karateka packages, along with a couple of 3.5" disks. Those hold what Mechner believes to be the original Apple 2 source code for the platformer.

The best news (for people who aren't Jordan Mechner): as soon as he figures out how to "extract something useful," he plans to put it online, providing a rare look at gaming history, and perhaps fodder for weird remix projects.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>jordan-mechnermacprince-of-persiasource-codeThu, 29 Mar 2012 19:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/16/all-aboard-the-last-express-on-ios-mechners-classic-adventure/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/16/all-aboard-the-last-express-on-ios-mechners-classic-adventure/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/16/all-aboard-the-last-express-on-ios-mechners-classic-adventure/#commentsJordan Mechner, creator of Karatekaand a small, obscure franchise called Prince of Persia, is bringing his 1997 gameThe Last Express to iOS with the help of French developer DotEmu. The Last Express is a real-time, point-and-click adventure game taking place on the Orient Express just before World War I.

DotEmu's version includes the entire game, all 20-plus hours of gameplay with a few "enhancements" for iOS devices, Mechner writes, and is expected to launch some time this year.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dotemuiosipadiphoneJordan-Mechnermobileremakethe-last-expressFri, 16 Mar 2012 23:59:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/15/jordan-mechner-remaking-karateka-for-psn-and-xbla/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/15/jordan-mechner-remaking-karateka-for-psn-and-xbla/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/15/jordan-mechner-remaking-karateka-for-psn-and-xbla/#commentsPrince of Persia creator Jordan Mechner helped reignite the Prince of Persia franchise with Ubisoft, and now he's going to attempt the same with his other classic, the atmospheric martial arts fighter Karateka -- on his own.

Venturebeat reports that Mechner has raised money through an angel investor and is now working with a small team on a remake of the fighter for release on PSN and XBLA this year. "Making the original Karateka was a labor of love," Mechner told Venturebeat. "To have so many people embrace it and share their stories of playing it has been really rewarding. I am always surprised to hear how much impact that game had. In remaking Karateka, I want to honor the original game with a compact, pick-up-and-play game that is fluid, atmospheric, and beautiful."

The original Karateka, for those of you not as old as us, stars a black belt who storms an evil warlord's fortress, defeating all of his guards and finally the warlord himself, to rescue a captured princess. We're doubtful that a new Karateka will have the same impact without the beautiful 2D animation ... but we thought the same about Prince of Persia, and that didn't turn out too badly.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>jordan-mechnerkaratekamicrosoftplaystationps3psnxblaxboxWed, 15 Feb 2012 09:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/17/prince-of-persia-leaps-to-commodore-64/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/17/prince-of-persia-leaps-to-commodore-64/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/17/prince-of-persia-leaps-to-commodore-64/#comments
Finally, those stalwarts who refuse to "upgrade" from their trusty Commodore 64 computers can experience that hot new game, Prince of Persia. Homebrew developer mrsid ported the 1989 game from its original Apple 2 version, making the cartridge image available for download from his site. If you have a C64 or 128 and a flashable C64 cartridge -- or, more likely, if you have a C64 emulator -- you can check out the achievement.

The rest of us will have to settle for this video, which looks remarkably smooth for an unofficial port on such an old system. It drew the attention of Prince of Persia creator Jordan Mechner, who commented to say "I'm amazed and humbled by the amount of work this must have taken."

Mechner also solved the mystery of why there wasn't an official C64 version, even though there were so many ports: "Back in 1989, when I was making POP on the Apple II, I couldn't get anyone interested in doing a C64 port," he commented, "because it was too old a system."

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Commodore 64commodore-64homebrewjordan-mechnermrsimpcPrince of Persiaprince-of-persiaPrince-of-Persia-ClassicretroSci/TechMon, 17 Oct 2011 10:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/15/jordan-mechner-on-prince-of-persia-respecting-game-writers/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/15/jordan-mechner-on-prince-of-persia-respecting-game-writers/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/15/jordan-mechner-on-prince-of-persia-respecting-game-writers/#comments
In 1985, Jordan Mechner was thinking about baggy pants, arches and columns -- images that could be clearly conveyed in a low-resolution, pixelated computer game. While delivering his Prince of Persia postmortem during GDC earlier this month, Mechner delved into his memories, his journals (which you can read online) and his temporary departure from the game midway through development to pursue a screenwriting career in Hollywood.

Mechner's interests and techniques have always been embedded in cinema. He filmed his brother David running about in a Reader's Digest parking lot with a VHS camera, and layered drawings on top of those movements (in a process called rotoscoping) to capture the protagonist's movements in Prince of Persia. You've heard that part, but you might not know about the fate of the camera that captured such iconic scurrying. According to Mechner, he purchased it, recorded the necessary footage, and then returned it within a 30-day guarantee. "I felt a little guilty about it, but I was trying to keep costs down," he said.

Initially dubbed "Thief of Baghdad" (and inspired by the film of the same name), the game continued to come together in a modular fashion, at one time incorporating a full level editor that Mechner had to persistently test, making sure users couldn't introduce game-breaking bugs. "My job title was programmer, all those other things were extra."

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>broderbunddsgdc-2011jordan-mechnermacmicrosoftnintendopcplaystationpostmortemprince-of-persiaps3pspsonywiiwritingxboxTue, 15 Mar 2011 15:10:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/26/the-last-express-added-to-gog/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/26/the-last-express-added-to-gog/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/26/the-last-express-added-to-gog/#commentsThe Last Express, designed by Jordan Mechner and Smoking Car Productions, was made available for purchase and download on DotEmu earlier this month, and has now pulled into another platform for digital distribution: GOG. Set on the Orient Express in 1914, the non-linear adventure was notable for incorporating rotoscoped animation, characters with active agendas, and an intriguing conspiracy that unfolded in real-time -- mostly.

GOG is asking $5.99 for The Last Express, which comes with a making-of video. The site promises that more extras will be added soon, while DotEmu has the game, a walkthrough, a making-of video and the soundtrack for roughly the same price. Either way, it's a good deal if you'd like to try an adventure game in which tardy, unmotivated behavior can derail the ideal.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adventuredotemugoggog.comjordan-mechnerpcsmoking-car-productionsthe-last-expressWed, 26 Jan 2011 23:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/14/jordan-mechners-the-last-express-now-available-for-download/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/14/jordan-mechners-the-last-express-now-available-for-download/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/14/jordan-mechners-the-last-express-now-available-for-download/#comments
The wonderful adventure mystery The Last Express has proven to be one of the more elusive titles since it was released in 1997. In fact, the last time the game was actually offered on modern PCs was when GameTap (remember GameTap?) had acquired distribution rights in 2006.

Now, The Last Express has been snatched from oblivion by lesser-known digital distributor DotEmu. For $10, the site is offering the game (in five different languages, no less) and "Collector's Edition" goodies like a walkthrough, soundtrack and making-of video. Better hurry and check it out before the game disappears again.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adventurecollectors-editiondigital-distributiondotemuJordan-Mechnerpcthe-last-expressFri, 14 Jan 2011 11:25:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/31/prince-of-persia-movie-opens-with-30-2m-domestically/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/31/prince-of-persia-movie-opens-with-30-2m-domestically/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/31/prince-of-persia-movie-opens-with-30-2m-domestically/#commentsUpdate: IMDB has updated its projected totals for the weekend box office to include the Memorial Day holiday, increasing ticket totals of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time from $30.2 million to $37.8 million for the four-day weekend. The increase pushes the video game-based flick to second place ahead of Sex and the City 2.

Original: If you only considered its current Metacritic ranking, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time could be called the first disaster movie of the summer season. According to IMDb, the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced time manipulation romp cracked third place in the US with $30.2 million in its opening weekend, behind first-place Shrek Forever After ($43.3 million) and Sex and the City 2: Electric Boogaloo with $32.1 million.

While Bruckheimer may have been wishing for Pirates of the Caribbean-style opening numbers, Box Office Mojo reports that Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is the third largest box office opening ever for a video game-based film. Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and Pokemon: The First Movie, currently own the first and second spot respectively in that extremely specific category.

Internationally the Prince fared better, bringing in $59 million from overseas theaters and capturing first place. So far, The Sands of Time has earned a total of $87.5 in the two weeks it has been released overseas.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>box-officejake-gyllenhaalJerry-BruckheimerJordan-Mechnermoviesprince-of-persiaprince-of-persia-movieprince-of-persia-the-sands-of-timeubisoftMon, 31 May 2010 17:15:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/20/prince-of-persia-movie-getting-a-series-of-lego-toys-lego-toys/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/20/prince-of-persia-movie-getting-a-series-of-lego-toys-lego-toys/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/20/prince-of-persia-movie-getting-a-series-of-lego-toys-lego-toys/#comments
We've seen so many instances where the LEGO toy brand has infiltrated the world of video games over the past few years -- that's why it's so downright refreshing to see the tables get turned. Just past the jump is a commercial for that new line of wonderbricks based on the upcoming film adaptation of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. It's full of assassins, traps that are ready to spring on a teeny little Jake Gyllenhaal Gyllenblock, but, strangely, nary a trace of the slow-motion -- which is so prevalent in the film and games.

Though your mind may immediately wander to the possibility of a LEGO video game based on Jordan Mechner's action-platforming franchise, we'd like to remind you that LEGO bricks are, in and of themselves, completely rad. LEGO bricks based on one of our favorite game series are doubly so.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>commercialjordan-mechnerlegomovieprince-of-persiaprince-of-persia-movieprince-of-persia-the-sands-of-timetoysTue, 20 Apr 2010 00:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/23/prince-of-persia-action-figures-are-pretty-gyllensmaall/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/23/prince-of-persia-action-figures-are-pretty-gyllensmaall/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/23/prince-of-persia-action-figures-are-pretty-gyllensmaall/#comments
Here's the good news: The first images of McFarlane Toys' line of action figures based on the upcoming Prince of Persia movie have been released, and they don't look half bad. Sure, some of the villains' figurines are sort of dead-eyed, but hey -- that's just a natural side-effect of the angry sand infusion they've undergone. Check out Toy News International's gallery to see the rest of the man-dolls.

Here's the bad news: These figures are only four-to-six inches tall. Even if you're a person of limited stature, it would be impossible to play "Jake Gyllenhaal Fantasy Dream Date" with a four-inch-tall representation of the guy.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>action-figuresfilmjake-gyllenhaaljordan-mechnermcfarlane-toysmovieprince-of-persiaprince-of-persia-movieSat, 23 Jan 2010 16:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/16/prince-of-persia-vignette-has-lots-of-shirtless-gyllenhaal-neve/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/16/prince-of-persia-vignette-has-lots-of-shirtless-gyllenhaal-neve/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/16/prince-of-persia-vignette-has-lots-of-shirtless-gyllenhaal-neve/#comments
We've been doing this Joystiq thing for a while now and, after sifting through years of traffic data, we think we finally know what you're all here for: shirtless Jake Gyllenhaal. It's okay, we're big fans of the guy's pecs, lats, abs, and peclatabs too. As such, we knew we had to post this behind-the-scenes look at Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, not for its juicy interview bits nor to see the picturesque locales where the crew filmed, but for those few seconds of Gyllenhaal in all his shirtless glory. The video is right after the break. You're entirely welcome, internet.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>filmjake-gyllenhaalJerry-BruckheimerJordan-Mechnermike-newellmoviesprince-of-persiaprince-of-persia-movieprince-of-persia-the-sands-of-timeWed, 16 Dec 2009 18:05:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/30/prince-of-persia-the-forgotten-sands-to-continue-sands-of-time/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/30/prince-of-persia-the-forgotten-sands-to-continue-sands-of-time/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/30/prince-of-persia-the-forgotten-sands-to-continue-sands-of-time/#comments
Ubisoft has just announced a new Prince of Persia -- but it's not a sequel to 2008's polarizing adventure (if desired, add unhappy emoticons to sentence). Instead, Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands will continue the Prince of Persia: The Sands of Timetrilogy series, complete with "many of the fan-favorite elements" and "new gameplay innovations that gamers have come to expect from the Prince of Persia brand." Oh, and an accompanying film!

You can catch the game's premiere trailer on Spike TV's Video Game Awards on Saturday, December 12, 2009 at 8 p.m. EST. Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands is scheduled for release on "consoles and handhelds" in May 2010.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>jordan-mechnerMicrosoftpopprince-of-persiaprince-of-persia-the-forgotten-sandsprince-of-persia-the-sands-of-timerelease-dateubisoftXbox-360Mon, 30 Nov 2009 12:33:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/04/qanda-jordan-mechner-and-jerry-bruckheimer-on-the-pri/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/04/qanda-jordan-mechner-and-jerry-bruckheimer-on-the-pri/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/04/qanda-jordan-mechner-and-jerry-bruckheimer-on-the-pri/#commentsDownload the HD trailer The Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time movie won't be in theaters until May 2010, but the marketing winds are already picking up with the release of the first full-length trailer (above) -- and it looks ... kinda good. What's more, the original game's creator, Jordan Mechner, has filed an application for the trademark, "Prince of Persia The Forgotten Sands," suggesting that a new game could be in the works. More recent remarks, like those found in this Q&A, seem to indicate that an announcement from Ubisoft is coming shortly.

We attended a group Q&A session with Mechner and movie producer Jerry Bruckheimer last week during the unveiling of the trailer and heard about the legacy of the franchise, casting of Jake Gyllenhaal, plans for a movie sequel, Easter eggs hidden on-screen, and hints of a new game. Leap across the break for the full discussion.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>DisneyfilmJake-GyllenhaalJerry-BruckheimerJerry-Bruckheimer-GamesJordan-MechnermoviePrince-of-PersiaPrince-of-Persia-The-Sands-of-Timeq-and-aThe-Sands-of-TimeUbisoftWed, 04 Nov 2009 12:45:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/29/impressions-prince-of-persia-the-sands-of-time-the-trailer/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/29/impressions-prince-of-persia-the-sands-of-time-the-trailer/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/29/impressions-prince-of-persia-the-sands-of-time-the-trailer/#comments
We were invited out to Jerry Bruckheimer Films earlier this week to watch the trailer for The Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. The good news? It looks like a Jerry Bruckheimer film. The bad news? Well, It looks like a Jerry Bruckheimer film. He's put together a formula that combines stars -- Jake Gyllenhaal, Alfred Molina, Gemma Arterton and Ben Kingsley -- a lot of bombast and CGI. What usually comes out is a loud, boisterous film that makes a lot of money at the box office. Not that there's anything wrong with that!

The only hitch is that it's a videogame adaptation, and those just never seem to turn out very well. It certainly doesn't help that Ben Kingsley, the one who starred in the ill-fated and ill-conceived film version of BloodRayne, has returned in another villainous role. Still, we have to admit that what we saw (reminder: just a trailer) looks to be an exciting jaunt through swashbuckling adventure.

Read on for the highlights -- and take your time. The movie that doesn't come out until May 2010.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>DisneyfilmJerry-BruckheimerJordan-MechnerMoviePrince-Of-Persiaprince-of-persia-sands-of-timeprince-of-persia-the-sands-of-timesands-of-timeThu, 29 Oct 2009 09:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/13/jordan-mechner-pitched-sands-of-time-film-with-game-derived-trailer/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/13/jordan-mechner-pitched-sands-of-time-film-with-game-derived-trailer/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/13/jordan-mechner-pitched-sands-of-time-film-with-game-derived-trailer/#commentsPrince of Persia series creator Jordan Mechner came up with a pretty ingenious way of making sure that the upcoming film adaptation of his beloved action-platforming franchise wouldn't diverge wildly from the source material. After the jump you'll find a trailer which Mechner himself cut together in order to pitch the film to Jerry Bruckheimer and Disney -- a trailer composed exclusively of clips from his well-received game, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time.

On his personal blog, Mechner pointed out a number of elements sparsely used in the aforementioned trailer: Time travel, sand monsters, clairvoyant visions -- basically any supernatural plot devices which were apparently cut from the pitch he presented to the studio. Without these aspects, we wonder exactly what the film will focus on. Had they been stripped from the game, it would have been approximately four minutes long.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>filmjordan-mechnermoviepitchprince-of-persiaprince-of-persia-movietrailerubisoftTue, 13 Oct 2009 13:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/06/jordan-mechner-files-prince-of-persia-the-forgotten-sands-trad/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/06/jordan-mechner-files-prince-of-persia-the-forgotten-sands-trad/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/06/jordan-mechner-files-prince-of-persia-the-forgotten-sands-trad/#comments
Super sleuth Superannuation has uncovered a new trademark filed by Prince of Persia creator Jordan Mechner. The game-related application, which seeks to register the title "Prince of Persia The Forgotten Sands," may concern a new entry in Ubisoft's storied franchise. Whether it manifests as a sequel to 2008's cel-shaded outing, a spin-off or as a tie-in product to 2010's film adaptation is a matter of speculation. That is, if the name ends up being used at all -- Mechner's last trademark, "Prince of Persia Prodigy," never saw official use.

It would be shame if that were to happen again. We quite like the ring of "The Forgotten Sands," even if the prince's knavish attitude in the last game might better suit a title like "Dude, Where's My Sand?"

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dude-wheres-my-sandjordan-mechnerprince-of-persiaprince-of-persia-2prince-or-persia-the-forgotten-sandsthe-forgotten-sandstrademarkubisoftTue, 06 Oct 2009 15:58:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/12/prince-of-persia-creator-to-keynote-gdc-china-likely-in-english/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/12/prince-of-persia-creator-to-keynote-gdc-china-likely-in-english/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/12/prince-of-persia-creator-to-keynote-gdc-china-likely-in-english/#comments
It seems that GDC China attendees have more than just a Video Games Live performance to look forward to, as it was announced today that Prince of Persia creator Jordan Mechner will be keynoting the event. According to a release issued today, the acclaimed designer will be speaking on "the success of the Prince of Persia series, as well as his own success as a game designer, programmer, and finally, director and screenwriter." You read that right, folks -- the man most recently penned Jerry Bruckheimer's film adaptation of the PoP series, among other screenplays.

Unfortunately, those attending GDC China won't be getting the traditional, mandatory shock treatment at the show, as that has been recently banned. For shame, China! Hopefully Mechner will be enough.

There's every chance that the Prince of Persia movie, like so many game-to-movie adaptations before it, will be tripe. Having said that, the recent poster reveals - coupled with the news today that a graphic novel will be released soon after the movie - may be improving our expectations.

The book will be written by the creator of the Prince of Persia series, Jordan Mechner, and will feature cover art by comic book legend Todd McFarlane. Inside, the artwork will be completed by "some of the most talented names in comics," and will feature six self-contained prequel stories. So even if the movie does suck, at least this graphic novel should be worth picking up.

The graphic novel will be discussed during a panel at San Diego Comic-Con, hosted by Mechner, McFarlane, Bernard Chang, Tommy Lee Edwards and Cameron Stewart, so expect to hear more information out of that.

Though it may seem crude these days, Jordan Mechner's original Prince of Persia animation was state-of-the-art in 1989. But the method by which he got it is even more impressive. Mechner shot his kid brother, performing the moves he needed, on a video camera and then, using rotoscoping, plopped them directly into his game.

Now, you can watch the actual home movies and it's positively shocking how closely they resemble the final moves the prince was performing way back in the late '80s. Watch it just below the break and just try not to get a little emotional. Try!

Welcome to the bottom of this ginormous image! Since you're here we might as well tell you all about the Prince of Persia graphic novel which recently released to book and comic stores everywhere. The $17, 190-page novel includes two parallel storylines of a Prince in the 9th century and another in the 14th -- meaning this Prince is completely different from the guy you know now and the one you'll know soon.

Written by A.B. Sina and illustrated by LeUyen Pham and her husband, Alex Puvilland, the Prince of Persia graphic novel is said to examine the "legend of the Prince," created by Jordan Mechner. Check out excerpts from the novel in the gallery below.

Alright, that was mean of us. Never fear, for the delightful Prince of Persia we fell in love with at E3 is still set for a Holiday 2008 release on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. The one headed to movie theaters, however, has been pushed back a year to May 28, 2010, according to ComingSoon.net. Reasons for the delay were not made apparent.

In case you haven't been keeping up with the project, have at these pertinent Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time facts:

Before turning his attention (and game design skills) to platforming persian princes, Jordan Mechner was all about asian martial arts and a game called Karateka. It was his first game, in fact, and according to comments he made during a Comic-Con 2008 panel, will also be his next.

Gamasutra reports that, when asked about his freshman effort, Mechner replied: "There actually is a plan to bring back Karateka. It's a project I'm going to be involved in." Just to make things mysterious, he added: "I can safely say it's not going to be in the way you expect."

We'd expect a 3D reimagining of the side-scroller, which is best remembered for its (at the time) stunning animation. We wouldn't expect an RPG, FPS, RTS, or MMO. Hey, maybe it will be a Karateka FPSRTSMMORPG? Actually, lose everything but the "RPG" (think Jade Empire) and we may have a winner.

How can a mysteriously cryptic countdown site get even more cryptic? Well, it can eventually lead to a picture of Daniel Day-Lewis. Or, it can be discovered before the cryptic marketing campaign even begins. What an enigma! That's exactly the case with whatever "Prince of Persia Prodigy" is. First, the phrase was trademarked by series creator Jordan Mechner, now the domain (www.princeofpersiaprodigy.com) has been registered by Ubisoft.

It once redirected to this odd page, which features a series of glowing blue characters being obscured by black goo, symbiote style. Now, the domain doesn't even do that! So, what does it all mean? ... We don't know, and we're not going to put the energy into finding out. Much like Danny Glover or Castro, we're getting too old for this doody. But maybe you youngsters can piece it together.

Trademork brings us word that Jordan Mechner, creator of wall-running time reverser, Prince of Persia, has filed to protect a new trademark. "Prince of Persia Prodigy" is now listed in relation to "game software and electronic game programs; electronic game software for mobile phones, personal digital assistants, and handheld computers." With Ubisoft suggesting that a new entry in the franchise is due to PoP up on modern consoles, one could speculate that "Prodigy" will serve as a subtitle to the royal acrobat's next adventure. One could also speculate that it implies a tie-in with the electropunk group of the same name, taking us back to the dark and angst-ridden tone of Prince of Persia: Warrior Within. That being the case, one should hope that one counts the number of people seriously considering such a project.

A second paragraph of speculation might also draw a connection between the trademark and next year's "not a video game movie" adaptation of Prince of Persia. How could anybody resist a game based on a movie based on a game?

The transition between video game and film is typically no different than one of those trap-laden corridors Ubisoft's princely protagonist dashes through on a regular basis. Though we yearn to say otherwise, Disney's Prince of Persia: Sands of Time film hasn't shown to be particularly adept at running the gauntlet. Coupling mega producer Jerry Bruckheimer's involvement with director Mike Newell's promise (of having his assistant play through the game) leads us to believe that the crew has fallen into the very first pit and succumbed to one of those spinning blade thingies.

Still, we'd best give them a chance to finish shooting in Morocco this June, which Variety notes will have a positive effect on the North African film business. Scenes for the Jeffrey Nachmanoff- and Jordan Mechner-written project will also be filmed at the UK's Pinewood Shepperton studios. Cross your fingers and hope for something more than a literal explosion of bullet-time sword fights, churlish chariot chases and liberal lingering on Farah's faucets.